Building self-esteem and Resilience in Girls through Group Singing

Overview:•Creating Sing it Girls! ®

•The problem today...

•The Science behind Sing it Girls!

•Benefits of group singing

•Gender specific programming

•All about Sing it Girls! ®

•What the girls have to say

•Questions & Resources

Creating Sing it Girls! ®

•Co-founders Cathy Thompson & Adrienne Pringle

•Group singing program created in 2013

•For girls/identify as female ages 7 to 12

•Created from the grass roots

•Purpose is to support girls to develop and trust their strong voice and inner resilience

The Problem today...

In early adolescence, girls:

•Are more stressed than boys

•Are more depressed

•Have lower self-esteem

•Have more eating disorders

•Have more body dissatisfaction

The Reality…1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness at

one point in their life

Anxiety is the most common mental illness in Canada

The Science Behind Sing it Girls! ®

Girls deserve to feel strong and confident, and to feel connected to their peers and community.

Self-esteem and self-worth can be nurtured in girls so that they may grow to be confident young women and leaders.

The Science Behind Sing it Girls! ®

•Singing improves learning outcomes

•Singing is good for you

•Singing connects us to one another

Benefits of group singing

• Singing has physical, psychological, social, musical and educational benefits for children (Welch, 2012)

Confident and healthy voice use links to a positive self-concept and an ability to communicate

Successful singing promotes self-esteem, general confidence and self-efficacy (iMerc.org)

Benefits of group singing

•Singing builds confidence and self-worth

•Helping create the space for girls to hear the whispers of their songs can enrich their experiences

•Many, many children and pre-adolescent girls simply love to sing

•Singing is intrinsically motivating

Gender specific programming

•Relational theories of women’s psychological development emphasize the importance of connections among girls and women (Gilligan, 1992; Gilligan et al, 1990)

•All-girl groups may promote these connections to a degree that mixed-gender groups will not (Chaplin et al.,2006)

Gender specific programs for girls...

Ages: 7-9 10-12 13-15

Need: a safe space to be themselves a supportive environment with peers

Risks: are more stressed & self-conscious than male

counterparts have lower self-esteem

VALIDITY team, CAMH. (2009). Girls Talk: An Anti-Stigma Program for Young Women to Promote Understanding and Awareness about Depression. Facilitator’s Manual. Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Sing it Girls! ®

•Experienced, trained facilitators

•Intentional focus on increasingconfidence & self-esteem

•Supportive community/peer singing group

Sing it Girls! ®

• Check in

• Vocal warm ups

• Discussing & expressing feelings

Sing it Girls! ®

•Vocal improvisation •Creative Play•Learning Calming strategies•Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)•Imagery•Group singing

What the Girls have to say:

“I really like when we get to talk about our feelings” – participant, age 11

“I love the original Sing it Girls songs we create” –participant, age 9

“My favourite part is hanging out with other girls my age” – participant age 7

What the Girls have to say:

• “Sing it girls helped me when I was nervous and it helped me learn many techniques” –participant, age 9

• “I like it at Sing it Girls when we talk about problems we are having” – participant, age 11

• “I met a lot of new people that were really nice!” –participant, age 10

What the Girls have to say:

• “That we got to sing my favourite songs and I made new friends – Sing it Girls is the best!!!” –participant, age 9

• “I like the place where the sessions happen. We can say our feelings about school or let everyone know what we are stressing about and then we can find solutions with music and breathing” – participant, age 11

• "I really like all of the chants we do and I am now okay with singing in public." – participant, age 9

In 3 words Sing it Girls is:

“1. Cool, 2. Relaxing, 3. Calming” – age 10

“1. Fun, 2. Relieving, 3. Friendly” – age 9

“1.Awsome, 2. Happy, 3. Loud” - age 7

“1. Awesome, 2. Confident, 3. Friendship”-age 8

“1. Funny, 2. Creative, 3. Sing-y” -age 11

Resources:

Hear Me, Understand Me, Support Me, by Validity

team, Center for Addiction and Mental Healthhttps://www.ocdsb.ca/UserFiles/Servers/Server_55394/File/Elementary/Special%20Educati

on/Special%20Education%20Resources/Hear%20Me%20Understand%20Me%20Support%20Me.pdf

Singing and Wellbeing, by Kay Norton

The Science Behind Sing it Girls: https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/3b6829a4-2647-4478-8681-8e59293a62a1/downloads/1cvrpu9hf_165009.pdf?ver=1553948487671

Websites:

Sing it Girls: www.singitgirls.ca

Sing up program: www.singup.org

Sing well: www.singwell.ca/

Mental health help: www.mindyourmind.ca

Anxiety information: www.anxietycanada.comMENTAL HEALTH and Well being among students: http://www.camhx.ca/Research/OSDUHS_Mental_Health_2017/#trends

In the media:

• CH Morning Live feature: https://www.chch.com/sing-it-girls/

• Yummy Mummy Club (YMC) feature: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=434329687365345

• CTV News Winnipeg Tots to Teens https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1793592&jwsource=cl&fbcld=IwAR3Y65gehZmtaXE3qNhepzd1AFqqZZsRsCiBAqI0FYBjtIr9EJSw-9qPWCE

Any Questions?

For more information contact:

Adrienne Pringle, MMT, RP, MTAbeyondthestudiomusic@gmail.com

www.singitgirls.ca

References

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Adlaf, E.M., Paglia-Boak, A., Beitchman, J.H., Wolfe, D. (2006). Detailed OSDUS Findings:The Mental Health and Well-Being of Ontario Students 1991–2005. Retrieved from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health website: www.camh.ca/en/research/news_and_publications/ontario-student-drug-use-and-healthsurvey/Documents/2013%20OSDUHS%20Docs/2013OSDUHS_Detailed_MentalHealth Report.

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